1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sterilizing apparatus for sterilizing an outer surface of a container to be packed of liquefied product such as fresh beverages, milk, coffee, beer, raw sake, soy sauce, sauce instantaneously at high temperature and a manufacturing apparatus for liquefied product.
2. Prior Art
In a prior art high temperature sterilizing apparatus for liquefied product, a plurality of plates are arranged in parallel with one another, wherein a liquefied product, a vapor of high temperature, cooling water, etc. are permitted to flow between these plates, and the liquefied product is heated and cooled by the heated and cooled plates. In such a means, heat is transferred to the liquefied product only when contacting a surface layer of flowing fluid, and hence the fluid has no irregularity in its temperature distribution during the flowing thereof, and quantity of fluid which does not contact the heat transfer surface is large so that thermal efficiency is relatively low. Accordingly, in case of liquefied product such as milk, etc. using this means, it takes at least 2 seconds at a temperature of 140.degree. C. to quickly heat the liquefied product from a normal temperature.
However, the drawback in this type of sterilization of the liquefied product is that protein is denatured, vitamin is broken, nutrition such as flavor, ingredient is broken, particularly, component which becomes a base of flavor such as Japanese Sake and juice is very weak even in such second heating for 2 seconds.
There has been recently developed a sterilizing apparatus for solving the aforementioned drawbacks in which liquefied product is permitted to flow in a capillary having a diameter of at least 1 mm at about 100 km/h under vapor of high temperature at about 200.degree. C., and heating time is at least 1/100 second.
However, although such a sterilizing apparatus can improve sterilizing efficiency by reducing heating time, there is such a drawback that it is difficult to cleanse the inside of the capillary and sufficient cleansing effect can be obtained since the capillary has the diameter of at least 1 mm.
Further, the aforementioned sterilizing means merely heat the liquefied product, and hence it has such a drawback that a homogenizing process by a homogenizer having a stirring mixing blades is needed before and after a sterilizing step since the liquefied product such as milk, bean milk, fruit juice and vegetable juice includes fats and fibers, etc. Still further, there is another drawback that since this homogenizing process is performed in an open state, the liquefied product is liable to be contaminated by bacilli.